Holiday Travel Checklist for Your Dog

It’s November, which means the holiday season is upon us and things are about to get busy! With things like holiday parties, shopping for gifts, and holiday travel, sometimes it’s hard to find time to get all the little things done. And although you don’t mean to, this may be a time that fido gets a little less attention. We wanted to make your life a bit easier this holiday and provide you with a holiday travel checklist of things to think about for your pup before you head out of town.

4-6 Weeks before Leaving – Book your sitter: Since holidays are one of the busiest travel times of the year it’s important to book your sitter early. Many sitters may be booked or not available due to their own travel, so we suggest reaching out to a few to optimize finding a great sitter. Take a look at our blog post about how to find a great dog sitter on Rover.

2-3 Weeks before Leaving – Get Your Sitter’s Checklist: Talk with your sitter about things that you should bring or leave with your pup for their stay. Things to think about include: food, treats, bowls, favorite toys, bed, blanket, leashes, harnesses, and a crate. You want to think about all the things that you have for them so that the sitter has everything they need to make your dog feel at home.

1 Week before Leaving – Take Inventory & Update Dog Profile: Take a look at the list of things you need to bring for your pup and make sure you have everything. Are you out of food or their favorite treats? Does their bed need to be washed? Additionally, take a moment to update your dog’s Rover profile with all the relevant information like emergency contact, vet information, and your travel itinerary.

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1 Day before Leaving – Get Everything Together: Make your departing date super easy by getting everything together the day before. Put it in a place that your dog doesn’t suspect that you’re leaving so they don’t get stressed out, but in an area that you can easily grab it the next day for the sitter.

Hopefully, this checklist of when and what to do to get your dog ready for you to go out of town is helpful and makes your life a bit easier during the holidays. If you have other suggestions on things you do to get your dog ready please let us know. We always love hearing best practices from our Rover community!